A limited-edition sneaker named “Jesus Shoes,” filled with holy water in the soles and blessed by a priest, sold within minutes of release.
While these shoes went for more than $3,000, that didn’t stop them from selling out quickly. Less than two dozen limited editions were produced.
The shoes were released by Brooklyn-based creative label MSCHF. The shoe was made using pairs of all-white Nike Air Max 97s that are said to be injected with holy water sourced from the Jordan River.
While the shoe is a Nike base, it is not affiliated with the big brand shoe company.
The “Jesus Shoes” include the Bible verse Matthew 14:25, a passage that describes Jesus walking on water.
The shoe also has a single blood drop to represent the blood of Christ. In addition, the soles are frankincense-scented with a crucifix threaded through the laces along with a red sole.
The red appears to references the red shoes customarily worn by past popes.
To top it off, the shoebox displays an angel and a seal that resembles the official papal seal.
While the shoe found popularity, some are outraged by them calling the sneakers blasphemous.
Some has gone as far as saying they will boycott Nike though they are not associated with the project. The shoes were bought at Nike retail value by MSCHF designers before being re-designed.
According to the designers, they were created with a desire for the brand to poke fun at collaboration culture.
“We thought of that Arizona Iced Tea and Adidas collab, where they were selling shoes that [advertised] a beverage company that sells iced tea at bodegas,” head of commerce Daniel Greenberg told the New York Post. “So we wanted to make a statement about how absurd collab culture has gotten.”
“We were wondering, what would a collab with Jesus Christ look like?” he also said.
As previously mentioned, less than two dozen shoes were made. According to MSCHF, there are currently no plans to create more.